lot of white smoke from exhaust
#1
lot of white smoke from exhaust
I just needed to get some opinion from you guys on if I should worry about the large amount of white smoke spewing from the exhaust. Its started happening ever since I got an o/r H pipe. (Already have a super 40 series flow master american thunder cat back.)
I been told smoke and smell would be imminent, but just noticed when I passed a store window while driving that there's also a lot of smoke coming out while driving too, and worse when idle/parked.
Is this a serious issue or something just the o/r midpipe will do to me?
I been told smoke and smell would be imminent, but just noticed when I passed a store window while driving that there's also a lot of smoke coming out while driving too, and worse when idle/parked.
Is this a serious issue or something just the o/r midpipe will do to me?
#7
It's just the no cats. Not sure what changes you've done to the car but running rich will accentuate this some. As long as it smells like gas and not oil I wouldn't worry to much without any performance symptoms.
#8
The human nose is not a reliable measuring device in my opinion.
Three possibilities for the smoke. Coolant leak into one or more the cylinders, oil leak into one or more cylinders, or unburned fuel coming out the tail pipe from a stuck open injector or similar issue. All three are things to be concerned with, but are easily testable.
I'd hook up a radiator pressure tester (available for rent at most auto parts stores) and make sure you don't have a coolant leak. If that checks out, then top off the oil and drive it around for a week or so to see if the oil level drops. I'd also hook up a scan tool that does live data (available at most auto parts stores) and check the short & long term fuel trim numbers. If the sum of the long & short term fuel trim numbers is in the single digits, then its normal. If the sum is positive then the computer thinks the motor is running lean and is adding fuel to the mix to try to correct it. If the sum is negative, then the computer thinks the motor is running rich and is removing fuel from the mix to correct it. If the smoke is from unburned gas, the sum will be negative in the double digits.
The only time, in my opinion, smoke coming out of the tail pipe is 'normal' is when the outside temp & the motor are both cold. Otherwise, its not normal and is an indication of a problem. If you can see it in the reflection of a window, as you described, it's excessive.
Good luck...
Three possibilities for the smoke. Coolant leak into one or more the cylinders, oil leak into one or more cylinders, or unburned fuel coming out the tail pipe from a stuck open injector or similar issue. All three are things to be concerned with, but are easily testable.
I'd hook up a radiator pressure tester (available for rent at most auto parts stores) and make sure you don't have a coolant leak. If that checks out, then top off the oil and drive it around for a week or so to see if the oil level drops. I'd also hook up a scan tool that does live data (available at most auto parts stores) and check the short & long term fuel trim numbers. If the sum of the long & short term fuel trim numbers is in the single digits, then its normal. If the sum is positive then the computer thinks the motor is running lean and is adding fuel to the mix to try to correct it. If the sum is negative, then the computer thinks the motor is running rich and is removing fuel from the mix to correct it. If the smoke is from unburned gas, the sum will be negative in the double digits.
The only time, in my opinion, smoke coming out of the tail pipe is 'normal' is when the outside temp & the motor are both cold. Otherwise, its not normal and is an indication of a problem. If you can see it in the reflection of a window, as you described, it's excessive.
Good luck...
#10
If it were normal condensation it would be burned off by the time the motor was warm. From the OP's initial post, the smoke persists while driving which to me sounds like the motor is warm), so its not just condensation.
Last edited by petrock; 11-25-2012 at 10:41 PM.